H  I  h  f'7J' 

"ripntj  i!  'lie  Ml 


i     ued  Au    ist  20,  1908. 


U.S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE, 

BUREAU  OF  PLANT  IND1  STRY     (Uvular  NTo.  12. 

B    i    G  W.l.i'W.W  .  Chief  of  Bun 


DIM-LAND     GRAINS. 


WILLIAM   M.  JARDINE, 

Agronomist  in  Charge  of  Experiments  with   Dri   Land 
(  !ere  \i  s,  Grain   I  \\  i>i  n.  \  i  i<  ins. 


2    08 


WASHINGTON  :  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE  .  19 


BUREAU  OF  PLANT  INDUSTRY. 

Physiologist  and  Pathologist,  and  Chief  of  Bureau,  Beverly  T.  Galloway. 

Physiologist  and  Pathologist,  and  Assistant  Chief  of  Bureau,  Albert  F.  Woods. 

Laboratoi  y  o)  Plant  Pathology,  Erwin  F.  Smith,  Pathologist  in  Charge. 

I  in  i  stigations  of  Diseases  of  Fruits,  Merton  B.  Waite,  Pathologist  in  Charge. 

Laboratory  of  Forts!  Pathology,  Haven  Metcalf,  Pathologist  in  Charge. 

Cottonand  Truck  Diseases  and  Plant  Visea  <  Survey,  William  A.  Orton,  Pathologisl  in  Charge. 

Plant  Lift  History  Investigations,  Walter  T.  Swingle.  Physiologist  in  Charge. 

Cotton  Breeding  Invi  ligation  ,  Archibald  D.Shamel  and  Daniel  N.  Shoemaker,  Physiologists  in  Charge 

Tobacco  Investigation*.  Archibald  D.  Shamel,  Wightman  W.  Garner,  and  Ernest  II.  Mathewson,  in 

Charge. 
Corn  Investigations,  Charles  1'.  Hartley,  Physiologist  in  Charge. 
Alkali  and  Drought  Resistant  Plant   Bruiting  Investigations,  Thomas  II.  Kearney,  Physiologist  in 

Charge. 
Soil  Bacteriology  and  Water  Purification  Investigations,  Karl  F.  Kellerman,  Physiologist  in  Charge 
Bionomic  Investigations  of  Tropical  and  Subtropical  Plants,  Orator  F.  Cook.  Bionomist  in  Charge. 
Drug  and  Poisonous  Plant  Invei  ti  gut  ions  and  Tea  Culture  Investigations,  Rodney  II.  True,  Physiologist 

in  Charge. 
Physical  Laboratory,  Lyman  .1.  Briggs,  Physicist  in  Charge. 

( top    I  •   hnology  and  Fiber  Plant  Investigations,  Nathan  A.  Cobb,  Crop  Technologist  in  Charge. 
Taxonomic  and  Range  Inn  stigations,  Frederick  V.  Coville,  Botanist  in  Charge. 
I'm  in   Mo  in  i  gi  mi  nt  Inn   I  i  gnl  ions,  William  J.  Spillman,  Agriculturist  in  Charge. 
Grain  Investigations,  Mark  Alfred  Carleton,  (  terealist  in  Charge. 
Arlington  Experimental  Form.  Lee  C.  Corbett,  Horticulturist  in  Charge. 
Vegetablt    Testing  Gardens,  William  W.  Tracy,  sr.,  Superintendent. 
Sugar-Bctt  tin   tigation     <  harles  O.  Townsend,  Pathologist  in  Charge. 
Western  Agricultural  Extension  hut  stigations.  Carl  S.  Scofleld.  Agriculturist   in  I  Marge. 
Dry-Land  Agriculture  Investigations,  E.  ('banning  Chilcott,  Agriculturist  in  Charge. 
Pomological  Collections,  Gustavus  B.  Brackett,  Pomologist  in  Charge. 

Field  line  ligations  in  Pomology,  William  A.  Taylor  and  G.  Harold  Powell,  Pomologists  in  Charge. 
Experimental  Gardt  n.  and  Grounds,  Edward  M.  Byrnes,  Superintendent. 
Foreign  Seed  arid  Plant  Introduction,  David  Fairchild,  Agricultural  Explorer  in  Charge. 
Forage  Crop  Investigations,  Charles  V.  Piper,  A.grostologis1  in  Charge 
Seed  Laboratory,  Edgar  Brown,  Botanist  in  Charge. 
Grain  Standardization,  John  I).  Shanahan.  Crop  Technologist  in  Charge. 
Subtropical  Laboratory  and  Garden,  Miami    ria..  Ernsl   \.  Bessey,  Pathologist  in  charge. 
Plant  Introduction  Gardt  n,  Chico,  Cal.,  W.  W.  Tracy,  jr.,  Assistant  Botanist  in  Charge. 
South    Texas  Gardt  n    It  run  ■      fix..  Edward  C.  ( ireen,  Pomologist  in  Charge. 

/  ,11  mi  rs'  Coopcral 1 1 1  /».  mon  tralion    Work.  Seaman  A.  Knapp,  Special  Agent  in  Charge. 
Seed  Distribution  (directed  by  Chief  of  Bureau!.  Lisle  Morrison,  Assistant  in  General  charge. 


/  dilor,  J.  E.  Rockwell. 
Chief  Clerk,  James  E.Jones. 
[Cir.  12] 

2 


It.  p.  I 


DRY-LAM)  GRAINS, 


INTRODUCTION. 

Experience  has  shown  thai  when  excessively  large  companies  farm 
greal  tracts  of  land  the  tendency  is  to  exploil  the  land  for  the  greatest 
immediate  profil  at  the  expense  of  the  permanent  value  of  the  soil. 
Proper  soil-cultural  methods  are  uot  observed;  rotations  for  the 
preservation  of  soil  fertility  are  neglected;  the  main  crop,  wheal,  is 
grown  continuously,  and  the  seed  is  allowed  to  degenerate  through 
careless  methods.  Undoubtedly  there  are  exceptions  to  this  rule. 
It  is  not  the  writer's  wish  to  intimate  that  rational  dry  farming  is 
impossible  when  carried  on  by  large  companies,  bul  the  general  rule 
has  been  as  stated  here.  It  is  evident  that  the  homesteader,  having 
in  mind  the  value  of  his  home  and  the  welfare  of  his  posterity) 
more  likely   to  perpetuate  and  increase  the  value  of  his  land. 

Arid  farming,  then,  in  its  most  comprehensive  sense,  should  be 
devoted  to  the  production  of  such  crops  as  will  make  home  life  in 
the  arid  section  profitable  and  attractive.  It  must  be  so  conducted 
as  to  insure  permanent  settlement  by  the  homesteader. 

DIVERSITY  OF  CROPS  NECESSARY. 

In  order  to  bring  about  the  desirable  conditions  mentioned,  it  is 
necessary  to  produce  a  variety  of  crop-.  Forage  plants,  such  as 
sorghum,  with  alfalfa,  field  peas,  and  other  legumes,  must  be  grown 
to  feed  the  domestic  animals  on  the  farm  and  to  take  their  proper 
places  in  a  rational  rotation.  Drought-resistant  trees  should  be 
developed  and  grown,  so  that  the  farmstead  will  be  a  plea -ant  dwelling 
place.  There  will  doubtless  be  found,  sooner  or  later,  orchard  tree 
which  will  be  successful  in  the  arid  sections. 

These  and  many  other  crops  all  have  their  place-  and  aid  in  making 
arid  farms  habitable,  but  the  fundamental  crops  in  arid  farming  are 
and  always  will  be,  as  at  present,  the  cereal-.  Those  grown  under 
arid  condition-  arc  wheat,  oats,  rye.  barley,  spelt,  emnicr.  corn,  the 
grain  sorghums,  and  millets.     The  value  of  oats  and  barley  as  U~i-<\- 

"  The  following  address  delivered  by  Mr.  Jardine  al  tli<'  second  session  of  the  Trans- 
Missouri  Dry-Farming  i  held  at  Sail  Lake  City,  Utah,  on  January  23, 
will  be                                  to  farmers  in  the  arid  and  semiarid  part-  of  the  West. — 
B.  T.  Galloway,  P  /'•' 

[Cir.  12.]  3 


4  DRY-LAND    GRAINS. 

for  the  farm  horse  is  universally  conceded,  as  is  also  the  fact  that 
they  are  usually  salable  at  profitable  prices.  Corn  is  a  very  valuable 
stock  feed  and  will  some  day  be  raised  extensively  either  for  grain 
or  forage  on  arid  lands.  It  is  also  a  valuable  crop  in  a  rotation, 
since  it  is  a  cultivated  crop  and  hence  may  be  substituted  for  the 
expensive  practice  of  summer  fallowing. 

Rye,  spelt,  and  emmer  are  excellent  hog  and  cattle  feeds  and  can 
often  be  raised  under  conditions  which  do  not  permit  the  growing 
of  wheat,  oats,  or  barley.  As  oats  and  barley  are  at  present  largely 
spring  varieties,  their  yields  are  not  so  large  and  reliable  as  that 
of  wheat.  Considerable  work  is  now  being  done  to  develop  hardy 
winter  types.  The  results  already  obtained  indicate  that  this  can  be 
accomplished. 

BARLEY. 

Probably  the  most  drought-resistant  varieties  of  spring  barleys 
are  those  belonging  to  the  beardless  and  hull-less  types.  These  are 
fast  becoming  recognized  as  valuable  varieties  to  grow  on  the  dry 
lands.  They  are  highly  valued  for  stock  feed  and,  being  spring  crops, 
are  well  adapted  to  a  rotation  in  which  they  can  follow  winter  wheat. 
There  are  a  number  of  promising  winter  varieties  which  now  give 
evidence  of  being  adapted  to  a  large  section  of  country. 

It  is  expected  that  within  a  very  short  time  a  number  of  reliable 
winter  varieties  of  barley  will  be  ready  for  distribution  among  the 
farmers;  in  fact,  we  have  at  this  time  one  such  variety,  known  as 
Tennessee  Winter  barley.  This  was  originated  at  the  Tennessee 
Agricultural  Experiment  Station  in  1900.  It  has  been  successfully 
grown  as  a  winter  variety  as  far  north  as  central  Nebraska.  Its 
popularity  is  constantly  increasing,  especially  in  Kansas,  where  it 
is  rapidly  displacing  the  spring  types.  Its  yield  is  usually  about 
one-third  better  than  that  of  the  spring  varieties,  and  its  quality  is 
equal  to  the  best.  The  Tennessee  Winter  variety  is  considered  as 
thoroughly  established.  A  limited  amount  of  seed  can  be  obtained 
from  the  leading  grain  dealers  in  the  Central  Plains  area. 

OATS. 

There  are  a  number  of  spring  varieties  of  oats  that  withstand 
drought  to  a  marked  degree.  Among  the  most  promising  are  the 
following:  Sixty-Day,  Kherson,  Burt,  and  Swedish  Select.  These 
varieties  are  usually  quick  growers;  hence1  are  able  to  use  to  the 
best  advantage  the  early  spring  moisture  and  by  maturing  early 
escape  to  a  considerable  extent  the  severe  droughts  which  occur  later 
in  the  season.  Oats,  like  barley,  will  always  find  a  place  in  the  crop 
system  on  the  dry  lands,  yet  neither  of  these  crops  will  ever  be  as 
prominent  as  wheat. 

[Cir.  12] 


DRY-LAND  GRAINS.  5 

At  present  there  is  no  well-established  variety  of  winter  oats  that 
can  be  considered  as  perfectly  adapted  to  the  Greal  Plains  area. 
However,  there  are  some  very  promising  strains  in  our  experiments, 

;iinl  it   is  hoped  thai   within  a  few   years  r  more  winter  types 

adapted  to  this  area  will  be  developed.  One  of  these  can  already  be 
regarded  .-is  established  in  various  sections  of  the  rntermountain 
Slate-.  It  is  a  black  winter  variety  of  excellent  quality,  coming 
originally  from  England  and  grown  for  the  pasl  eighl  years  by  Mr. 
Stephen  Boswell,  foreman  of  the  Nephi  Agricultural  Experiment 
Substation,  Nephi,  Utah,  and  known  as  Boswell  Winter  oat.-.  'Phis 
will  probably  be  successful  in  the  Greal  Plains  area.  It  is  now- 
planted  in  a  number  of  place-  on  the  Plain-  and  farther  east.  It 
has  gone  into  the  winter  in  good  condition  at  most  of  these  points, 
and  it-  vegetative  habits  indicate  that  it  will  survive  the  winter 
in  good  shape. 

SPELT     Wl>    EMMER, 

Spell  and  ernmer  are  less  generally  known  than  the  other  --rains. 
Tin-  i-  largely  due  to  their  comparatively  recent  introduction  into 
tin-  country,  they  having  been  imported  only  a  lew  years  ago  from 
southern  and  eastern  Russia  sections  similar  in  -oil  and  climatic 
conditions  to  those  in  the  Dakota-  and  southward.  'There  is  some 
confusion    regarding   -pelt    and    emmer.     They    are    generally     both 

called  -pelt.  The  two  are  quite  distinct,  however.  especially  in  out- 
ward appearance,  and  their  botanical  characteristics  are  a-  different 
in  some  respects  a-  those  of  -pelt  and  wheat.  They  are  similar  in 
the  fact  thai  the  chaff  adhere-  closefj  to  the  berry  after  thrashing. 
This  is  probably  the  cause  of  the  confusion.  For  actual  differences, 
see  the  description  on  page  6  of  Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  L39,  issued  by 
the  V.  S.  Department  <>\'  Agriculture. 

Botanically,  -pell  and  emmer  arc  close!}  related  to  wheat,  but 
economically  i hey  mighl  bel ter  be  classed  wit h  oats  and  barlej  .  since 
they  are  cultivated  in  this  country  for  stock  food  only.  In  feeding 
value  t  he\  have  been  found  quite  equal  to  barley.  As  a  mixture  with 
other  grains,  such  as  corn,  barley,  and  oats,  the}  arc  highly  prized. 
Coming,  as  the}  do,  from  a  section  having  hot,  dry  summer-,  their 
success  in  our  arid  region  i-  practically  assured.  Their  ability  to 
resist  droughl  i-  remarkable  in  spite  of  the  fad  thai  the}  are  mosth 
spring  varieties.  The  U.S.  Department  of  Agriculture  ha- succeeded 
in  obtaining  a  black  winter  variety  of  emmer  thai  shows  remarkable 
yielding  power  and  ability  to  grow  under  greal  variation  in  climatic 
conditions,  including  our  mosl  severe  winters.  The  future  popularity 
of  these  two  grains  will  l>e  measured  largeh  b}  their  abilitj  to  adapt 
themselves  as  winter  types,  jusl   as  i-  the  case  with  oats  and  barley. 

I  »if.    12] 


DRY-LAND   GRAINS. 


THE    GRAIN    SORGHUMS. 


The  grain  sorghums  are  another  class  of  cereals  that  are  proving 
valuable  in  the  arid  region.  Milo,  black-hull  kafir,  and  red  kafir  are 
already  grown  extensively  for  this  purpose  in  the  southern  part  of 
the  Great  Plains  area,  as  well  as  in  California.  These  three  varieties, 
with  brown  kowliang,  a  Chinese  grain  sorghum,  are  the  most  promis- 
ing for  use  in  extending  this  crop  into  other  dry  regions. 

Milo  belongs  to  the  durra  group,  it  was  originally  a  tall,  uneven, 
free-stooling,  much-branched  crop,  7  to  10  feet  high,  with  pendent 
or  goose-necked  heads.  It  has  been  greatly  improved  in  earliness, 
habit  of  growth,  and  productiveness.  To-day  there  is  a  dwarf  and 
uniform  crop,  the  standard  strain  4\  feet  high,  the  dwarf  strain  .'!'  feet 
high,  both  stooling  and  branching  but  little,  and  bearing  from  75  to 
90  per  cent  of  their  heads  erect.  The  average  yields  of  shelled 
grain  in  the  Panhandle  country  are  about  40  bushels  to  the  acre. 
This  is  at  an  elevation  of  from  3,000  to  4,000  feet,  with  an  average 
rainfall  of  22  inches.  In  1907  the  crop  was  ripened  in  Colorado  at  an 
altitude  of  5,500  feet  and  in  South  Dakota  at  2,000  feet  elevation 
and  44°  of  latitude. 

The  improved  milo  crop  is  adapted  to  rapid  and  economical  han- 
dling on  a  large  scale  by  machinery.  It  is  planted  with  the  corn 
planter,  harvested  witli  the  corn  binder  or  grain  binder,  and  thrashed 
in  the  grain  separator.  As  soon  as  95  per  cent  of  the  heads  are  erect, 
the  grain  header  can  profitably  be  used  in  harvesting.  Milo  seems 
fully  adapted  to  successful  extension  over  much  of  the  Plains  region 
and  may  well  be  tried  throughout  the  intermountain  areas. 

The  kafir  varieties  are  equally  drought-resistant  and  productive, 
but  rather  later  in  maturing  and  not  adapted  to  such  high  altitudes 
or  latitudes.  They  are  better  combination  grain  and  forage  crops, 
because  of  greater  juiciness  and  more  abundant  foliage.  In  the 
kafirs  the  heads  are  naturally  borne  erect  and  the  crop  is  adapted  to 
heading,  if  desired. 

The  group  of  kowliangs,  or  Chinese  grain  varieties,  contains  the 
earliest  strains  yet  known.  The  best  variety  matured  in  the  Pan- 
handle of  Texas  in  1907  in  eighty-five  days.  The  kowliangs,  how- 
ever, must  be  selected  for  greater  productiveness  before  they  will  be 
ready  for  general  distribution. 

RYE. 

Rye  is  so  well  known  that  lit t It'  need  be  said  of  it.  The  growing  of 
rye  is  often  objected  to  because  of  its  persistent  tendency  to  volunteer 
and  mix  with  other  grains.  It  is  in  some  sections  coming  to  be  con- 
sidered as  a  weed  and  as  something  to  be  avoided.  Notwithstanding 
these  objections,  rye  lias  many  valuable  qualities.  It  can  nearly 
always  be  relied  upon  to  produce  a  crop  under  conditions  of  drought 
LClr.  il'I 


DRY-LAND   GB  \  i 

too  severe  for  wheal  or  any  oilier  grain.  There  are  both  spring  and 
winter  varieties.  The  spring  varieties  are  most  valuable  as  green 
manuring  crops,  and  also  for  summer  forage  and  pasturage.  Winter 
varieties  are  most  profitable  for  the  production  of  grain  and  forage. 
The  value  of  rye  as  forage  is  almost  equal  to  thai  of  timothy,  if  cut 
at  the  proper  time.  When  grown  as  forage  there  is  little  danger  of 
it-  spreading  or  mixing  with  other  grains,  because  it  is  cut  at  the 
blooming  period.  The  ability  of  rye  to  produce  a  heavy  foliage  even 
under  very  dry  condition-  make-  it  especially  valuable  as  a  dry-farm 
forage  crop.     Its  grain,  too,  is  valuable  as  a  stock  food. 

MINOR    <  ROPS. 

Millets  and  Max  may  be  discussed  as  among  the  crops  of  minor 
importance,  but  crops  that  are  fast  becoming  recognized  as  suitable 
to  gro\*  in  rotation-,  if  not  to  a  wider  extent,  on  the  dry  lands  of  the 
West.  Flax  especially  i-  recognized  a-  a  profitable  crop  to  grow  on 
new  land.  It  subdues  the  soil  well  and  at  the  same  time  make-  a 
profitable  yield.  Millet-  are  found  to  he  productive  both  in  grain 
and  in  forage.  It  is  only  a  question  of  a  short  time  until  both  of  these 
crop-  will  he  much  more  w  idel\    grown  than  at   present. 

WHEAT    THE    PR]  \(Ii'  \l.    (  ROP. 

All  the  cereal-  named  occupy  important  places  in  arid  farming. 
Wheat,  however,  i-  the  most  widely  used  of  the  cereals,  and  for  this 
reason  the  demand  for  it  i-  always  strong  and  its  sale  practically 
sure.  The  demand  for  the  other  crops,  being  more  limited  than  that 
for  wheat,  is  liable  to  greater  variations;  hence  these  grains  will 
never  be  a-  generally  popular  as  wheat.  From  these  considerations 
it  i-  -ecu  that,  though  oats,  barley,  spelt,  emmer,  rye,  and  corn  are 
extremely  important,  both  a-  salable  products  and  in  rotations, 
wheat  i-.  and  probably  will  always  remain,  the  greal  basic  cereal  of 
the  arid  \Ye-t .  and  it  will  receive  the  greatest  consideration  here. 

THE   ARID  REGION. 

The  section  which  we  consider  a-  mor ■  less  arid  includes  the 

western  half  of  the  Dakota-.  Nebraska,  Kansas,  Oklahoma,  and 
Texas  southward  to  the  Gulf,  and  the  region  westward  to  the  Coast 
Range,  thus  including  the  greater  part  of  the  so-called  Great  Plains 
area,  the  iniennoimtain  West,  and  some  vast  area-  in  California, 
Oregon,  and  Washington.  The  annual  precipitation  in  this  area 
varies  from  I  to  20  or  25  inches.  Altitude  and  climatic  and  soil  con- 
ditions are  extremely   variable  and  determine  to  a  greater  or  lesser 

extent    the   varieties   that    can   he    grown   and   the   method-    that    must 
he  employed, 
[fir.    12] 


»  DRY-LAND   GRAINS. 

THE  GREAT  WHEAT  GROUPS. 

Several  hundred  varieties  of  wheat,  more  or  less  distinct,  are 
grown  in  this  arid  section.  The  great  bulk  of  these  varieties,  how- 
ever, falls  into  four  groups: 

(1)  The  hard  spring  wheats:   (a)  common;   (b)   durum. 

(2)  The  hard  winter  wheats. 

(3)  The  semisoft  white  or  intermountain  wheats. 

(4)  The  soft  white  or  Pacific  coast  wheats. 

In  general,  each  group  characterizes  a  certain  belt,  or  region. 
These  belts  are,  of  course,  not  sharply  defined,  but  certain  types  of 
wheat  predominate  in  each. 

THE    HARD    SPRING-WHEAT    GROUP. 

The  hard  spring-wheat  belt  includes  the  States  of  North  Dakota 
and  South  Dakota  and  a  portion  of  northwestern  Nebraska.  Tliis 
section  can  also  be  considered  as  the  home  of  the  durum  wheats  in 
the  United  States.  It  is  here  that  they  flourish  best  and  are  grown 
most  extensively.  The  two  most  prominent  varieties  of  common 
wheat  grown  are  Bluestem  and  Ked  Fife.  These  two  varieties 
and  the  durums  are  the  principal  wheats  grown  in  the  section. 
The  milling  quality  of  Fife  and  Bluestem  is  usually  considered  to 
be  superior  to  that  of  most  other  wheats.  The  wheats  known  as 
"No.  1  Hard"  and  "No.  1  Northern"  come  from  these  two  varie- 
ties, and  they  usually  bring  the  highest  price  on  the  market.  The 
Fife  is  a  native  of  Russia,  though  sometimes  called  "Scotch  Fife." 
The  growing  of  winter  wheat  has  not  as  yet  been  practicable  in  this 
area  because  of  the  long,  severe  winters,  light  precipitation  in  the 
fall,  and  severe  alternate  freezing  and  thawing  in  the  early  spring. 

The  Durum  Wheats. 

The  durum  wheats  have  been  grown  in  this  country  in  insignifi- 
cant quantities  for  about  thirty-five  years,  but  until  1900  there  was 
no  organized  effort  to  induce  the  extensive  cultivation  of  these  grains. 
During  that  year  the  Department  of  Agriculture  sent  a  representa- 
tive to  the  durum-wheat  sections  of  Russia  to  investigate  the  con- 
ditions favorable  for  durum-wheat  production. 

As  a  result  of  this  investigation  a  large  number  of  varieties  were 
introduced  by  the  Department  of  Agriculture.  They  were  distrib- 
uted to  various  stations  of  the  Great  Plains  area,  where  the  conditions 
are  very  similar  to  those  found  in  Russia  and  Algeria,  from  which 
latter  country  a  number  of  varieties  have  also  been  introduced.  At 
first  these  grains  w  ere  received  with  but  little  favor,  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  they  produced  excellent  yields  and  exhibited  remarkable  rust- 
resistant  and   drought-resistant  qualities.     Their  rust  resistance  is 

[.Cir.  121 


DRY-LAND   GRAINS.  9 

especially  important.  'Phis  was  particularly  noticeable  in  the  rust 
epidemic  of  1904,  when  so  much  damage  was  done  to  the  common 
varieties.  The  later  popularity  of  durum  wheats  in  this  section  Is 
largely  due  to  their  greal  resistance  of  rust  in  this  epidemic.  They 
arc,  in  fact,  coming  to  be  considered  as  the  only  reliable  spring  varie- 
ties to  grow  in  sections  where  rust  is  frequently  prevalent.  Their 
drought-resistant  qualities  are  constantly  being  broughl  to  notice. 
In  Texas,  Montana,  California,  Utah,  and  in  many  other  sections 
where  severe  drought  occurs  thej  are  outyielding  all  other  spring 
varieties  and  in  many  instances  arc  rivaling  some  of  the  leading 
winter  grains.  It  has  Keen  found  that  these  wheats  are  particularly 
adapted  to  the  Dakotas.  Ahnni  80  to  85  per  cent  of  the  durum 
wheat  produced  in  1907  was  grown  in  this  belt. 

GROWING    lull  1   \IIITV    OF    DUR1   M    WHEATS. 

The  opposition  to  the  durum  wheats,  especially  among  farmers,  is 
rapidly  disappearing;  in  fact,  these  wheats  are  even  being  grown  in 
sections  to  which  the\  are  not  adapted  and  where  they  should  not 
he  planted.  They  have  Keen  taken  to  Minnesota,  a  section  wholTj 
unsuited  to  their  production  because  of  the  high  precipitation  and 
the  excessive  humidity  of  the  atmosphere.  They  are  preeminently 
grains  to  he  grown  where  the  summers  are  hot  and  the  atmosphere 
dry.  The  farmers  of  Minnesota,  however,  have  come  to  value  the 
durums  because  of  their  rust  resistance  rather  than  because  the\  are 
otherwise  adapted  to  that  section.  In  sonic  parts  of  the  State  they 
are  displacing  Fife  and  Bluestem.  For  this  reason  the  millers  are 
inclined  to  oppose  them  \r\\  vigorously  and  in  this  they  are  fully 
justified.  The  U.  S  Department  of  Agriculture  has  never  recom- 
mended the  growing  of  durum  wheats  in  the  humid  regions. 

The  durum  wheats  became  prominent  commercially  in  L903,  when 
6,000,000  bushels  were  produced.  Their  production  has  steadily 
increased  up  to  the  present  time.  The  crop  of  1906  was  between 
in. (ion. Him  and  50,000,000  bushels;  that  of  L907  was  even  greater, 
notwithstanding  the  unfavorable  crop  conditions  in  the  Dakotas. 
One  of  t  he  striking  features  in  fa\  or  of  t  he  durum  w  heat  is  the  grow- 
ing demand  for  it   in  both  foreign  and  domestic  markets. 

Of  the  crop  of  1906,  some  6,000,000  to  10,000,000  bushels  were 
consumed  in  the  mills  of  Minneapolis  in  blending  with  other  wheat: 
20,000,000  bushels  were  shipped  to  foreign  markets,  some  of  it 
going  to  Russia,  whence  it  was  originally  introduced;  some  5,000,000 
bushels  were  used  I'm  seeding  the  crop  of  1907,  and  the  remainder 
w  as  used  1>\  small  mills  throughout  the  country.  Before  the  harvest 
of  the  L907  crop  the  1906  yield  was  entirely  consumed.  The  L907 
crop  is  going  even  more  rapidly.     One  man.  representing  a  foreign 

[Clr.    12] 


10  DBY-LAND   GRAINS. 

firm,  purchased  last  December  1,500,000  bushels  for  export.  This 
is  the  largest  quantity  ever  bought  for  export  trade  at  one  time  by 
one  man. 

The  difference  in  price  between  the  durum  wheats  and  the  No.  1 
Northern  is  becoming  smaller  each  year.  Durum  wheat  now  sells  for 
about  2  cents  more  than  No.  2  Red  Winter  on  the  Chicago  market. 
The  attitude  of  the  northwestern  grain  journals  regarding  durum 
wheat  is  rapidly  becoming  less  antagonistic,  and  even  the  millers 
are  beginning  to  concede  points  in  its  favor.  As  the  millers  perfect 
their  methods  for  milling  these  wheats  they  invariably  recognize  the 
merit  of  the  durums,  especially  as  blends  with  the  softer  varieties 
and  as  a  source  of  semolina,  or  "macaroni  flour."  It  seems  certain 
that  the  durum  wheats  are  destined  to  become  the  leading  spring 
varieties  throughout  the  whole  arid  West. 

THE    HARD    WINTER    OR    CRIMEAN    WHEATS. 

The  belt  in  which  the  hard  winter  or  Crimean  wheats  are  grown 
includes  the  States  of  Kansas  and  southern  and  central  Nebraska 
and  Oklahoma,  extending  into  the  Panhandle  of  Texas,  the  area  of 
maximum  production  being  in  central  Kansas. 

The  hard  winter  or  Crimean  group  of  wheats  predominates  in  this 
belt,  although  spring  varieties,  especially  durums,  are  grown  to  a 
limited  extent.  The  typical  varieties  of  this  group  are  the  Turkey 
(sometimes  called  "Turkey  Red"),  the  Kharkof,  and  the  Crimean. 
These  are  commonly  known  as  the  "hard  red  winter  wheats."  The 
Kharkof  is  probably  the  most  highly  valued.  In  appearance  it  very 
closely  resembles  the  Turkey,  the  variety  most  generally  known 
among  the  farmers  because  of  its  widespread  growth  prior  to  the 
more  recent  introduction  of  the  Kharkof. 

In  brief,  the  wheats  of  this  group  are  all  bearded  and  have  white 
chaff  and  hard  red  berries.  They  usually  do  not  grow  very  tall,  but 
are  very  heavy  yielders.  They  are  in  great  demand  as  milling 
wheats,  although  they  are  not  considered  equal  to  No.  1  Hard  and 
No.  1  Northern  grades  of  the  Fife  and  Bluestem  of  the  Dakotas. 
No.  1  Hard  Winter,  the  best  wheat  of  this  belt,  usually  brings  about 
the  same  price  as  No.  2  Hard  Spring  wheat. 

These  hardy  winter  wheats  originated  in  Russia  and  get  their 
name  from  the  peninsula  of  Crimea,  where  they  are  most  promi- 
nent. They  have  long  been  known  as  leading  varieties  in  that  sec- 
tion of  Russia,  where  they  are  subjected  to  extremely  severe  winter 
conditions.  They  have  been  grown  in  the  United  States  for  a  third 
of  a  century.  Thev  were  firsl  grown  by  the  Mennonite  colonists 
who  came  here  from  Russia,  bringing  their  seed  witli  them.  They 
[Cir.  1-1 


DRY-LAND  GRAINS.  II 

have  continually  advanced  in  popularity  up  ti>  the  presenl  time,  1  >u t 
the  area  of  winter-wheat  production  has  been  greatly  extended 
through  tin1  more  recent  introduction  of  -till  hardier  types  of  ilus 
group,  the  most  conspicuous  among  them  being  the  Kharkof. 

The  production  of  these  winter  wheats  is  1>\  no  means  limited  to 
this  belt.  They  are  successfully  grown  locally  in  various  sections 
uf  Montana  and  Colorado,  where  they  are  becoming  recognized  as  the 
leading  winter  t\  pes.  They  are  also  becoming  prominent  as  far 
north  us  the  wheal  areas  of  Alberta,  Canada.  In  some  of  these 
sections  their  qualitj  is  often  better  than  it  i-  in  Kansas,  hut  the 
Kansas  area  is  preeminently  the  center  of  hard  wheat  production. 
About  70,000,000  bushels  have  been  produced  there  each  year  for 
the   past    three   \  cars. 

IN  I  ERMOl   X  I  \l\     W  III.  VTS. 

Proceeding  westward  from  the  hard  winter-wheat  belt,  we  come 
to  the  intermountain  area.  The  wheat  of  this  bell  may  be  consid- 
ered as  intermediate  between  thai  of  the  Greal  Plains  and  thai  of 
the  Pacific  coast.  In  this  bell  there  is  a  more  or  less  heterogeneous 
mixture  of  nearly  all  kind-  of  wheat,  with  a  tendency  toward  the 
production  of  a  white,  sofl  berry,  thus  resembling  the  grain  of  the 
bell  farther  west.  This  is  believed  to  be  largely  due  to  climatic  and 
soil  conditions  different  from  those  of  the  Greal  Plains.  Here,  too, 
the  winter  varieties  predominate;  in  fact,  it  appears  thai  before  long 
winter  wheat  will  be  grown  here  almost  exclusively  and  that  what- 
ever spring  wheal  is  grow  n  will  be  con  lined  to  the  durum  group,  since 
these  arc  practically  the  only  varieties  capable  of  withstanding  the 
extremely  hot .  <\r\   summers. 

It  can  not  be  said,  as  in  discussing  the  previous  belts,  thai  any 
particular  variety  is  predominant.  It  is  true  to  a  considerable  extent 
that  all  new  varieties,  however  differenl  when  introduced  into  this 
area,  tend  to  approach  a  uniform  type.  The  lack  of  a  predominating 
type  is  probably  due  to  the  fact  that  this  area  has  heretofore  been 
somewhat  inconsequential  in  the  world's  wheat  markets.  The 
production  ha-  been  entirely  local  and  ha>  attracted  hut  little  out- 
side attention.  Since  the  recent  developmenl  of  arid  farming  is 
making  possible  an  enormous  outpul  of  wheat  from  this  section 
there  is  no  question  that  the  same  influences  which  have  forced  the 

growing  of  onlj  one  type  in  each  of  the  other  wheat  belts  will  ulti- 
mately bring  about  the  same  reduction  in  the  number  of  wheat 
varieties  here  and  the  establishment  of  a  predominating  t.vpe.  In 
the  judgment  of  the  writer,  the  coming  wheat-  for  this  region  will 
he  the  Crimean  group  for  winter  wheat  and  the  durum-  for  spring. 
[Cir.    12] 


12  DRY-LAND   GRAINS. 


CREATED     1    Ml  <  (KM  I  I    I  EC]    3SARY. 


Beyond  all  question,  a  greater  uniformity  must  be  brought  about 
before  the  full  possibilities  of  wheat  growing  in  the  intermountaio 
section  can  be  realized.  This  can  be  accomplished  largely  by  discard- 
ing all  inferior  varieties,  by  introducing  new  and  superior  types, 
and  by  improving  them  still  further.  With  this  in  view,  the  U.  S. 
Department  of  Agriculture  is  establishing  cereal  stations  at  various 
places  in  the  arid  region  and  is  doing  a  large  amount  of  work  inde- 
pendently and  in  cooperation  with  the  State  agricultural  experi- 
ment stations.  With  the  proper  cooperation  and  support  of  the 
farmers,  this  much-needed  change  can  certainly  be  made,  but 
whether  or  not  they  are  willing  to  discard  entirely  their  soft  white 
wheats  it  is  certainly  true  that  they  must  sooner  or  later  grow  a 
uniform  type,  be  it  hard  or  soft.  Before  I  hey  can  attract  a  market 
they  must  be  known  as  producers  of  some  particular  wheat.  Fruit 
growers  recognize  this  principle  of  uniformity  and  profit  by  it.  This 
point  has  also  been  forcibly  illustrated  by  the  durum  wheats  in  this 
country.  When  the,  durum  wheat  was  produced  only  locally  and  in 
small  quantities  it  had  absolutely  no  market,  but  just  as  soon  as 
the  Dakotas  began  to  make  a  specialty  of  it  its  sale  became  easier  and 
a  market  was  soon  firmly  established. 

Uniformity  should  be  sought  for  at  all  times,  and  this  will  be  best 
accomplished  by  cooperation  between  the  farmers  and  the  State 
experiment  stations  and  through  agricultural  organizations. 

THE    PACIFIC    WHEATS. 

The  last  belt  to  be  considered  is  the  Pacific  coast  belt.  It  includes 
the  San  Joaquin  and  Sacramento  valleys  of  California  and  1  he  Colum- 
bia basin  region  of  Oregon,  Washington,  and   Idaho. 

The  wheats  of  this  belt  are  the  extreme  opposite  of  those  of  the 
Kansas  belt.  In  other  words,  they  are  very  soft  and  white,  and  very 
low  in  gluten — the  most  highly  prized  constituent  of  the  wheat 
berry — while  the  Kansas  grains  are  hard,  red,  and  rich  in  gluten. 
and  hence  more  desirable.  The  wheats  of  the  Pacific  belt  are  not 
readily  salable  in  the  Minneapolis  and  Chicago  markets;  they  find 
their  sale  chiefly  on  the  Pacific  coast  and  in  western  Europe  and 
the  Orient. 

The  main  varieties  are  the  Defiance,  Little  Club*  White  Australian, 
and  Sonora  in  California;  the  Red  Chaff  and  Foise  in  Oregon;  and 
the  Palouse,  Red  Russian,  and  Bluestem  in  Washington  and   Idaho. 

So  far  ail  attempts  to  maintain  high  gluten  content  in  varieties 
introduced  into  the  Pacific  belt  have  been  unsuccessful.  As  soon  as 
the  hard  varieties  become  acclimated  in  this  region  they  become 
starchy  and  soft  and  closely  resemble  the  Pacific  coast  types  in  chem- 
ical composition.  This  i--  especially  noticeable  in  the  wheat  sections 
[Cir.  li' I 


DRY-LAND   GRAINS.  L3 

of  California,  where  wheal  growing  has  been  conducted  on  a  large  scale 
with  the  careless  methods  suggested  in  the  beginning  of  this  article. 
Kil't  \  \  ears  ago  a  better  qualitj  of  wheat  was  produced,  but  the  farm- 
ers have  allowed  the  fertility  of  their  soil  to  decrease  and  the  quality  ol 
their  wheal  has  decreased  in  proportion.  Thej  are  now  reaping  the 
reward  of  their  unscientific  methods.  Tliis  mighl  well  be  taken  as  an 
objecl  lesson  by  those  who  are  beginning  in  the  newer  sections,  as  it 
emphasizes  the  necessity  for  crop  rotation.  It  often  becomes  neces- 
sary to  import  hard  wheats  into  California  for  use  as  blends  in  flour 
making.  It  seems  to  the  writer  thai  this  would  be  another  possible 
use  for  the  durums  raised  farther  east.  Such  a  course  would  increase 
the  market  for  the  durums  and  at  the  same  time  he  of  vast  service 
to  the  farmers  and  millers  of  the  Pacific  hell. 

FUTURE  IMPROVEMENT. 

The  important  question  of  scientific  grain  improvement  by  breed- 
elect  inn,  etc.,  is  of  greal  importance,  hut  a  full  discussion  of  this 
question  i-  not  within  the  province  of  this  paper.  This  system  of 
improvement  is  too  expensive  of  both  time  and  money  to  he  followed 
by  farmers  alone.  It  calls  for  the  cooperation  of  the  I  .  S.  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture,  the  State  agricultural  experiment  stations,  and 
the  farmers.  The  Department  is  now  cooperating  with  the  stations 
in  i  he  ai'id  region  in  doing  the  scientific  part  of  the  work.  Experi- 
ment substations,  consisting  of  from  40  to  160  acres  of  farming  land, 
are  being  established  in  representative  dry-farming  sections  through- 
out the  semiarid  West.  At  these  stations  large  numbers  of  grains 
are  being  tried  for  the  purpose  of  determining  their  comparative 
droughl  resistance.  From  so  large  a  number  it  is  expected  in  obtain 
a  few  varieties  of  marked  superiority,  from  which  individual  plant 
selections  will  he  made  in  order  to  further  increase  their  productive- 
ness. The  supply  of  seed  of  the  best  varieties  will  he  increased  as 
rapidly  as  possible  for  distribution  to  reliable  farmers.  This  work  is 
to  he  done  under  the  close  supervision  of  men  specially  trained  along 
t hese  hue-. 

It  will  rest  with  the  farmer-,  individually  and  through  their  organi- 
zations, to  complete  tin-  work  by  increasing  the  supph  of  seed,  by 
securing  it-  wide  distribution  among  the  tanner-,  and  by  maintaining 
the  standard  of  quality  in  order  that  a  permanent  market  may  he 
assured.  Farmers' organizations  will  pia\  aspecialh  important  part. 
Heretofore  the  work  has  too  often  stopped  with  the  purely  scientific 
results,  hut  for  permanent  benefits  the  farmer  himself  must  assist. 
Station-  are  being  established  and  the  work  is  now  in  progress  ll 
en    'lit   plan-  operate  vasl   benefits  and  improvements  can  be  confi 

dentl}    expected. 
[Or.  l-'J 


14  DRY-LAND    GRAINS. 

CONCLUSIONS. 

The  following  concrete  conception  of  cereal  production  should  be 
kept  in  mind: 

(1)  From  a  disorganized  condition  the  production  of  cereals, 
especially  wheat,  has,  through  the  introduction  of  foreign  varieties 
of  grain,  the  elimination  of  inferior  types,  and  a  uniform  system  of 
main  growing,  become  concentrated  into  tour  belts  more  or  less  dis- 
tinct, and  each,  with  one  exception,  characterized  by  the  production 
of  one  or  two  standard  varieties  especially  adapted  to  the  conditions 
there  obtaining. 

(2)  The  durum  wheats  have  proved  themselves  particularly  valu- 
able as  spring  types,  especially  as  regards  drought  resistance  and  rust 
resistance,  and  they  will  ultimately  become  the  leading  spring  type. 

(3)  Winter  wheats  will  always  be  grown  where  wheals  can  survive 
winter  conditions,  and  the  hard  winter  or  Crimean  group,  because  of 
their  wide  adaptability  and  excellent  drought  resistance,  will  prob- 
ably supplant  all  other  winter  types  in  all  the  belts,  with  the  possible 
exception  of  the  Pacific  area. 

(4)  The  only  possible  way  to  obtain  a  steady  and  permanent  mar- 
ket for  grains  is  to  concentrate  on  as  few  varieties  as  possible,  this  being 
especially  necessary  at  this  time  in  the  intermountain  area. 

Approved : 

James  Wilson, 

S<  en  tary  of  Agricultun . 

Washington,  D.  C,  June  27,  1908. 

[Cir.  12] 

o 


UNIVERSITY  OF  FLORIDA 


3  1262  08928  9705 


